Sanctuary Housing
Officers from Sanctuary Housing will be at the meeting to deliver a presentation that will include:
· An overview of new developments in the District
· Damp and Mould response following Awaab Ishak case
· Retrofitting and energy efficiency works to reduce bills for tenants and help reduce carbon emissions from social housing properties
· Empty property management
· Service standards that tenants can expect, such as response times for repairs and anti-social behaviour reports.
· Response to Social Housing Regulation Act
Additional documents:
Decision:
Resolved
(1) That the presentation from Sanctuay Housing be noted.
Minutes:
The Chairman welcomed the following officers from Sanctuary Housing: Regional Director, Katie Poole; Head of Neighbourhood Operations, Yvonne Crinean; Head of Development, Sophie Bell; Head of Property Services, Joanne Stringer; Neighbourhood Partnerships Manager, Charlie Heritage; and, Regional Customer Service Manager, Ranjit Sall, who would be giving a presentation regarding the association’s work in the Cherwell area.
The Head of Neighbourhood Operations gave an overview of the range of services offered by Sanctuary Housing within the Cherwell district and a summary of the work currently being undertaken by the association. The Head of Neighbourhood Operations explained the various communication methods available for tenants to contact the association and the metrics that were used to measure performance in communication..
In response to Members’ comments regarding direct communication between elected members on behalf of residents and Sanctuary Housing, the Regional Director explained that a Regional Customer Service Manager role had been established in recognition of the need to improve contact. The Regional Director confirmed that Sanctuary Housing officer roles and contact details would be circulated.
The Head of Development provided the Committee with an update on the approach taken by Sanctuary Housing in relation to new housing schemes, with a particular focus on sites that were currently under development within the Cherwell area.
In response to Members’ questions, the Head of Development explained that more information on the specification of houses would be circulated. Builders and contractors were required to sign up to Sanctuary standards.
The Head of Property Services provided an overview of Sanctuary Housing’s strategy regarding investments to the existing housing stock and explained the approach taken to prioritising improvements to properties. Information was also shared on the management of empty homes and Sanctuary Housing’s approach to dealing with reported damp and mould in its properties.
The Regional Director reported on Sanctuary Housing’s approach to sustainability. A Sustainability Report has been published in the summer and would be circulated to Committee members. The Regional Director advised that currently just over 50% of the Sanctuary social homes within the Cherwell District Council area required some form of retrofit works to ensure that they met the target Sanctuary Housing had set itself to achieve an EPC rating of A-C in all Sanctuary social homes by 2030.
The Neighbourhood Partnerships Manager gave an overview regarding Community Investment in Cherwell. The Committee was advised that Sanctuary’s strategic focus was on building connection and resilience for its customers and communities. This generally involved working alongside organisations including Cherwell District Council and other local charities and partners.
The Chairman thanked the representatives from Sanctuary Housing for their attendance.
Resolved
(1) That the presentation from Sanctuay Housing be noted.